Devastating Effects of Zika Virus Seen in New Fetal Brain Scans

The devastating effects of the Zika virus on the brains of fetuses go beyondmicrocephaly, according to a new study published today in the medical journal Radiology.

Researchers evaluated brain scans of fetuses and infants with suspected Zika infection and found that in addition to microcephaly there were severe abnormalities in 94 percent of infants. The researchers studied 17 babies and fetuses with confirmed Zika diagnosis and 28 with suspected Zika infection.

Viral infection of a pregnant woman has been linked to increased risk of microcephaly in the fetus, but researchers are still learning how the virus affects brain development.

Dr. Dorothy Bulas, the section head of ultrasound and fetal imaging in the Division of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., said the Zika infection has a "unique" effect on developing fetuses compared to other infections.

"This is a very unique virus that seems to attack the fetus directly," she said. "We haven’t really seen [brain abnormalities] as severe in other infections.”

Researchers reported finding serious abnormalities of the corpus callosum, the thick bundle of nerves that connects the two halves of the brain. Abnormalities there can cause severe neurological problems. They also noted that the majority of babies had calcium deposits throughout the brain that tended to occur in the spot where the gray matter on the outer portion of the brain meets the white matter within the inner portion of the brain. A small portion of the babies also had abnormalities of the eyes.

They also saw ventriculomegaly -- enlargement of the fluid spaces in the brain -- in over 94 percent of babies.

In some of these children, the oversize ventricles made up for the missing brain tissue, so their head size was not abnormally small. This could be a worrying sign since it means that even fetuses who appear "normal" on fetal ultrasound could be suffering from birth defects related to Zika exposure.

Bulas pointed out that the paper and the detailed fetal MRI scans published will help radiologists evaluating pregnant women who have had Zika infection to determine if fetuses are showing effects of Zika infection.

"The power of fetal MRI is that it allows us to examine the details of the brain," she said. "I think fetal MRI has been underutilized, and I think in a scenario like this it can be very helpful for confirming an injured brain."

The new paper was published as Florida doctors confirmed today they are studying an infant who has signs of past Zika infection but not microcephaly. Doctors from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine said an infant girl they are treating did not have microcephaly but had calcium deposits in her brain and pigment changes in her retina.

"It just tells us that there was a bacteria or a virus in the brain and that virus has left us with some calcifications," Dr. Audina Berrocal of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami told ABC News affiliate WPLG-TV. "Babies with early intervention and the right support, sometimes they compensate for those changes that we find early."

Retired Police Supritendent And His Three Children Burnt To Death In Jos

Retired Assistant Superintendent of Police, Anthony Kwame, who was also the former Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to ex-Gov. Fidelis Tapgun of Plateau, was on Monday morning killed in an inferno that gutted his residence in the Jenta-Adamu neighbourhood of Jos.

Also killed along with the retired police officer were his two daughters, Theresa and Kerry, and son, Emmanuel.

According to Mr Terna Tyopev, the spokesman of the Plateau Police Command, Kwame’s wife, Charity and his daughter, Evelyn, survived the early morning fire disaster but sustained severe burns.

“The deceased were burnt to ashes; what were taken to the mortuary of Plateau Specialist Hospital in Jos were just the skeletons,” Tyopev told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Monday.

The cause of the fire was not known but neighbours told NAN that the fire started around 1 a.m.

“The fire started around 1 a.m; that is all I am sure of,” a neighbour, Tina Fobur, said.

The Village Head of Jenta-Adamu, Mr Kabala Bako, whose residence shares a fence with that of the deceased, said that he rushed out of his house when he heard sounds of the fire.

“When Ì rushed out, I called out other neighbours and we tried to put out the fire, but it had already engulfed the entire house and there was nothing we could do about it.

“But we succeeded in making sure that that not so many houses in our area were affected.

“In spite of our efforts, some adjacent houses were affected but no life was lost,’’ he said.

The two survivors, currently on admission at Plateau Specialist Hospital, could not speak with NAN on the possible causes of the fire as they were writhing in severe pains.

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L.A. policemen who shot unarmed black man sue city for discrimination

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two Los Angeles police officers who shot dead an unarmed black man in 2014 have sued the city for alleged racial discrimination after not being allowed to return to the field.

In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, the two officers, Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas, shed light on the repercussions on their careers from the shooting, opening a window on normally secret disciplinary proceedings.

Wampler and Villegas killed Ezell Ford, 25, after Ford struggled for Wampler's gun, according to authorities, in an incident that touched off several protests.

Villegas is Latino and Wampler is Caucasian, according to the suit; police previously described him as Asian-American.

The two officers were not criminally charged in the incident. The Los Angeles Police Commission in June 2015 faulted Wampler for approaching Ford without sufficient cause, but found that Villegas was justified in shooting Ford during the struggle.

Wampler and Villegas accused supervisors of denying their requests to return to the field based on their race and Ford's race, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit said another Los Angeles police officer, who is African-American, was involved in a separate shooting that was found to be out-of-policy but that officer retains a "highly sought after position."

"Clearly, there is a different standard of discipline meted out to officers solely on account of their race and color of their skin," the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit says the officers have been denied transfers, overtime and promotions because of their race and faced retaliation after they filed complaints of racial discrimination with state regulators.

Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney, said in an email that his office was reviewing the lawsuit but could not comment further.

Ford's death came two days after police fatally shot an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, triggering protests across the country over use of excessive force by police.

Since then the debate over policing and racism has intensified in the United States where a string of deaths of black men and women involving officers has fueled anger and given rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

In July, high-profile police shootings of two black men in Minnesota and Louisiana were followed by the killing of five police officers in Dallas by an African-American former U.S. soldier and the death of three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by another gunman.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Leslie Adler)

W-I-C-K-E-D: See what man did to his wife

Note: Story contains a gory photograph some may consider offensive. Readers discretion advised.

Wife opens up: ‘My hubby used hot iron, screw driver to burn me’ For 36 year-old Mrs Mercy Nnamdi, the woman whose one-year-old son was allegedly killed by her husband recently in Ago, Okota area of Lagos, over her husband’s allegation that she was sleeping with his father, life could never have been more cruel. 

This is because never in her wildest imagination had she envisaged that a man she had known almost all her life could mete such inhuman treatment on her.   As you read this piece, Mercy is going through excruciating pains in a private hospital in Okota where doctors are battling to save her life.

 In fact, the once bubbling woman  looks a shadow of herself, as medical report showed that she sustained a third degree burns from the hot iron her husband of two years used on her on Saturday, April 7 2012, which was exclusively reported by Vanguard.
Presently, the badly burnt woman maintains a particular position, by sleeping on her back. She wears an adult pampers when she eases herself, with a tissue paper by her side, with which she cleans the fluid coming out from the burns. Help, as gathered, was far from the Imo state-born woman, as none of her neighbours attempted to go and find out what was happening when she was desperately shouting for help. It was learnt that their neighbours failed to respond to her cries for help because it has become a daily occurrence. 

Crime Guard gathered also that on several occasions, some of the neighbours invited policemen from Ago division who cautioned her husband after which he was made to sign an undertaking never to raise his hands on his wife. 

Family sources hinted that signs of danger in the marriage reared its ugly face early after the two love birds fell in love 16 years ago, when Mary was barely 22 years old. But she was apparently blinded by love, hoping that her heartthrob would outgrow his  anger someday, which was never to be.

Narrating what led to her being a patient in the hospital, Mary stated, “It  all happened on a Saturday. I had prepared boiled yam, awaiting the arrival of my husband.  After a long wait, I decided to eat mine and left his on the table. He came back few minutes to 11pm and went straight to bed. Then at about 1 a.m., power was restored and he went to put off the power generating set and switched over to electricity.

 After that, he started ironing his customers’ clothes because he is a dry cleaner.

 I was later woken up by the cry of our one-year-old baby who apparently needed breast milk.   All the while, we were outside before power was restored. Before retiring inside, I took my bath and fetched water for him to have his. The unforgettable night


was fast asleep when I was woken up by a sharp pain on my back.  I thought it was a night mare. But when I opened my eyes, lo and behold, my husband was planting the hot iron he was using on the clothes on me. 

Immediately I turned, he planted it on my chest. When I raised my hand to prevent it, he planted it on one of my hands . By then I did not know what to do. I started screaming and calling on my neighbours for help. I raised my leg to prevent him, again, he landed the hot iron on me. As he planted the hot iron hard on my flesh, he would use a screw driver to peel  off the flesh. At a point, I became too weak to shout. I begged him to stop but he would not. Rather, he would ask me to tell him how many times his father slept with me. Even in pains, I begged him to listen to himself and  imagine what he was saying. My response seemed to anger him the more because he would plant it harder, leaving it on my skin and at the same time, asked me to tell him the truth.”

 At this point, Crime Guard asked if she was guilty of the claim. She grimaced and replied, “How can that be? The father already has a wife.”   Pausing for a while and staring at the ceiling , a position she has been maintaining for several hours,  she continued, “ at that point, my baby woke up and started crying . I begged him to allow me breast feed the baby .

But before I could finish the statement, he placed the hot iron on my breasts, threatening to kill me if I shout.  As he lifted the iron, I saw that the flesh from my breast had stuck to the iron surface. Again he pressed it harder on my stomach, leaving it there. I managed to turn, only for the iron to land on my lap.

 He  told me there was no way of escape for me that night, that  members of his gang were outside to take my corpse to an unknown destination by the time he finished with me.   At that point, I knew the end had come for me. I managed to shout out for help with all the strength in me  but I could not. 

At that point, he forcefully  took Ebuka from the bed and went outside. I decided to go out because I did not know what he would do next when he came back. I cannot tell how I crawled out of the room. But I found myself in the kitchen  naked, from where two men who saw me gave me wrapper to cover myself.


“As I was there, trying to fathom how I would escape from the compound, somebody shouted that my husband had killed my child. That was the last thing I heard. I guessed I passed out because I later opened my eyes and found myself in the hospital.

” Residents of Number 3, Lambe street, Ago confirmed to Crime Guard that they simply refused to go to Mary’s rescue that night because it was late and also that her shout for help had been one too many .

 One of them said, “ Since they started living as husband and wife, there had never been a time we did not experience shout or crisis from their one-room apartment. It is worse any time the man came home drunk. We have even gone to report to the police when it became too much because we did not want a situation where he would kill her one day and we would be held responsible. Even at that, he did not stop. 

Several times, the woman had wanted to go back to her family but  she wouldn’t. Even her father-in-law had advised her to leave when she travelled home last December because he was tired of the endless reports of his son battering his daughter in-law.”



Weeping, after pausing for a while, Mary recalled how he met her 37-year-old husband.  “ We knew each other since 1996. The relationship blossomed until 2010, when he went for introduction in my village. I left my hair dressing skill and moved in with him with the hope of continuing later.” 

But that was never to be as she revealed that rather than continuing learning hair dressing, she started selling pap, all in a bid to make ends meet and apparently as a demonstration of her love for Henry. 

“He started showing his real colour later. He started by refusing to drop money for house keep and even when I begged him to rent a shop for me, he didn’t.  Rather,  he used the money to drink beer and smoke . When I advised him against his drinking and smoking habit, he would flare up and the next thing would be to hit me. Several times I have begged the police to help me beg him not to raise his hands on me but he wouldn’t” 

Another predicament befalls Mary Sadly, the anguished woman is faced with another predicament which is her inability to pay her medical bills. Already, Crime Guard gathered that her bill had amounted to N200,000 . Following this development, the hospital is threatening to stop treatment. Presently, the dressing of the burns which ought to be done on daily basis has been extended to once in two or three days, as a daily dressing cost s N10,000.


Sobbing uncontrollably and  at the same time questioning her choice of partner, she revealed that her family members had not shown up since the incident occurred, as none of them, according to her, was aware of the incident. 

My mother must not hear of this because it will kill her. She is presently taking care of my sister who just put to bed in Owerri. I can not reach my relatives either because my phone is not with me and I do not have their phone numbers off hand. 

” Crime Guard  learnt  that since the incident took place, her father in-law had been responsible for the hospital bills. But there is little Pa Nnamdi could do as the bill, as gathered, had gone beyond his capacity. Hospital sources disclosed that though their management had tried to attend to Mary’s case, there are indications that it might discharge her if the accrued bill is not cleared.


One of the doctors who identified himself simply as Eze explained that  “she  had a third degree burn and her case may deteriorate if she does not receive adequate care. She even  fainted last Tuesday because she was not given food and her people lacked the fund to bring her back to normal state.” 

He further disclosed that Mary was rushed to the hospital in a state of coma, adding that , “ The husband used pliers on her skin and decimated her. Then a hot iron was applied on her face, body chest, and her two breasts. Meanwhile, she has not been informed of the demise of her one-year-old son considering her present state.

 However, the alleged perpetrator of this dastardly act, Mr Henry Nnamdi who was arrested by neighbours, is currently at the State Criminal Investigation Department , Panti, Yaba. Efforts to speak with him proved abortive.

Zidane confirms talks with PSG over Real’s Jese

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has confirmed Jese Rodriguez could join Paris Saint-Germain before the end of the transfer window but said the forward may return to Spain next summer. “It’s not a done deal, but it’s well on the way. When we return to Madrid we’ll know more about it,” Zidane said at a news conference in New Jersey on Tuesday, on the eve of Real’s final US pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich. “They’re a major club and I hope that if all goes well, he returns to Real Madrid, which is home for him. It may perhaps be for a year, after which he’ll return home. “I think that it’s an ideal club for him because they’re a good team and he’ll get lots of goals there,” he added. However, French media have reported PSG could look to sign the 23-year-old on a five-year deal in a transfer worth around 25 million euros, contrary to Zidane’s wishes. Last week, PSG coach Unai Emery indicated a move for Jese was “a possibility” as the French champions look to draft in support for Edinson Cavani up front following the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United.

Mikel Obi officially changes his name

In attempting to clarify his actual name, the Chelsea veteran has just made everyone very, very confused. Jon Obi Mikel has been called many things by Chelsea fans during his decade at Stamford Bridge… many of which are far too rude, reports UK Mirror. Mikel However, while he may have got used to the abusive slurs hurled his way by a section of the Stamford Bridge support, it seems the Nigerian midfielder has finally had enough of people getting his actual name wrong. That is why the Chelsea stalwart who was  was born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna (the son of Michael Obi) in 1987, but a mistake in 2003 changed things for the midfielder. has just officially changed his name… to Mikel John Obi. For starters, it turns out that he was never actually called ‘Mikel’. The Guus Hiddink favourite was born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna – ‘Mikel’ only became a thing when the Nigerian FA mistakenly used Mikel instead of Michael on his submission form during the registration process for the 2003 Fifa Under-17 World Championships. So much so, that despite the fact it’s not actually his name, he’s been happy to be called John Obi Mikel ever since he joined Chelsea in 2006. It seems, he has now officially changed his name to… Mikel John Obi.

Ronaldo opens up on Messi, family life in new film

Cristiano Ronaldo has no regrets after making an intimate documentary about his life and career, he told a press conference in London to mark the film’s launch on Monday. Made by the team behind award-winning films about Ayrton Senna and Amy Winehouse, ‘Ronaldo’ charts Ronaldo’s life between Real Madrid’s European Cup triumph in 2014 and his third Ballon d’Or crown in January 2015. Cristiano Ronaldo The film’s revelations include a confession by Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores, that she wanted to abort him, while Ronaldo talks openly about his brother and late father’s struggles with alcoholism. He also defends his decision not to disclose the identity of his son Cristiano’s mother, but when asked if he felt he had opened up too much, the Madrid superstar replied: “Maybe, but I just had fun. “I don’t regret anything. I feel unbelievable. When you do something people will find reason to criticise you, but it’s normal.” The film captures intimate moments at home between Ronaldo and his five-year-old son — who he dubs “my successor” — and shows him relaxing with friends including his agent, Jorge Mendes. The Portugal captain, 30, discusses his obsession with winning the Ballon d’Or, which he has won for the past two seasons after seeing his great Barcelona rival Lionel Messi walk away with it for the previous four years. “I’ve started seeing him as a person, not a rival,” Ronaldo says of the Argentine. “But we are always busting our balls to see who is better.” On speculation about the identity of his son’s mother, Ronaldo, who describes himself in the film as an “isolated person” with few friends in football, says: “I’ve never told anybody and I never will.” – Ferguson promise – Asked at the press conference why the film does not feature Irina Shayk, the Russian model who he split from last January, Ronaldo said it was because the filmmakers “didn’t see a strong part to put in the movie”. He also refused to be drawn on the crisis surrounding suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who is pictured in the film during scenes shot at various Ballon d’Or galas. “When Cristiano says something it’s a huge thing. I’m not going to be involved in these problems,” Ronaldo said. “What do you expect me to say?” The film also reveals that a promise by former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson that Ronaldo would play in 50 percent of the club’s games prompted him to move to Old Trafford in 2003. Mendes says that Ferguson’s offer was key in encouraging the winger, then an 18-year-old rising star at Sporting Lisbon, to reject rival offers from clubs including Barcelona and Inter Milan. Speaking on Monday, Ronaldo said: “When Sir Alex Ferguson says, ‘Cristiano, I want you to come to Manchester United, you’re going to play 50 percent of the games,’ it made me feel comfortable and I said, ‘Wow.’ “Because 18 years old, to play 50 percent of the games, for me it’s unbelievable. Jorge helped me to take that decision and of course the last word of Sir Alex Ferguson was the key to sign for Manchester United.” A tuxedo-clad Ronaldo was greeted by hundreds of fans when he arrived with his mother and son for the film’s official premiere at a London cinema on Monday. Ronaldo was reunited with Ferguson on the red carpet and hugged the Scot in a warm embrace. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, who both managed Ronaldo at Madrid, and former United team-mates Gary Neville and Louis Saha were among a celebrity-packed audience. Ronaldo was presented with an award for being the “most liked person on Facebook in the world”, while he also attempted to set a record for the most selfies taken in three minutes as he snapped photos with eager fans. “I’m proud and excited to show off this movie,” Ronaldo said. “I did this for the fans, this film is for them.”

Re

EU Issues Kill List of 37 'Invasive' Species

Grey squirrels, water hyacinths, raccoons and Muntjac deer are all on a new banned list issued by the European Union.

Among the "invasive alien species" that countries must now eradicate or contain are grey squirrels, water hyacinths, and raccoons.

Other animals on the list include the Muntjac deer, which are in the UK, and the South American coati, which has been spotted in Mallorca, Spain.

Five species of crayfish are also on the list, along with three types of squirrel and the sacred ibis bird.

Each member state can decide how to tackle the blacklist.

Pets and zoo animals on the banned list can be kept until they die, while wild animals will likely need to be culled.

The EU describes an alien species as any organism that has been transported across ecological barriers like mountain ranges or oceans, becoming established in a new area.

It said that while many were brought to Europe intentionally "for their beauty, usefulness or commercial value", others have arrived by accident.

There are currently more than 12,000 alien species in the European environment, but the ones the EU is targeting are those which are invasive - "lacking predators or competition" to keep them in check.

Roughly 10-15% of alien species arriving in Europe eventually become invasive, according to the EU.

Some academics are concerned that the list is too short - it doesn't cover the notorious Japanese knotweed or common ragweed, for example.

Sven Bacher from Fribourg University in Switzerland told the New Scientist: "We are all a bit concerned with the low numbers of species on the list.

"We estimate there are around 1,000 to 1,500 invasive alien species in Europe and this is only a very poor selection."

The EU says the list is likely to be expanded in the future.

Recaptured Lynx Survived By Eating Rabbits

Flaviu the big cat spent three weeks out in the open after escaping from a zoo and was caught in a trap set by an expert.

Drones using thermal imaging cameras were used in the hunt for the animal after it disappeared shortly after arriving at Dartmoor Zoo in Sparkwell, near Plymouth.

The public had been warned not to approach the big cat and a large operation had been under way to track it down.

The alert went out on 7 July after keepers at the zoo found that the lynx, called Flaviu, had chewed through a board on the wall of his house and escaped.

The two-year-old Carpathian lynx had only recently arrived from Port Lympne in Kent.

The zoo owner, Benjamin Mee, told Sky News: "He weighed 20kg when caught, exactly the same weight as when he escaped."

Dozens of staff searched the zoo's boundaries and local nursery children were warned to stay indoors as the search continued with a police helicopter, but no trace of the animal was found.

The lynx, which is about the size of a labrador, was eventually caught with the help of an expert local trapper.

Mr Mee said: "Lynx willl always return to a kill. He hadn't made a kill, other than a rabbit which he ate. On Thursday evening he tackled a lamb which meant we knew he would be coming back to that site.

"When Flavio came back to finish his dinner he saw a big humane trap with meat in it. He was hungry, decided to take a chance, he went in. and we had him."

Carpathian lynx, which come from the mountain range in eastern Europe but are closely related to the much more widely distributed Eurasian lynx, normally feed on animals such as deer, hares, rabbits, rodents and grouse.

Jaden Smith Dead: Will Smith Son NOT Dead – Who Started The Hoax?

‘Jaden Smith dead’ reports that baffled and worried its readers were finally proven wrong! The aspiring singer and rapper young star is very much alive! In fact, he’s pretty active on his social media.

In July 2016, Jaden Smith dead news was circulating the Internet, particularly on Facebook. The culprit had some fans believe the post was real when it had Jaden’s birth date as well as the supposed deceased date on it. CNN was also used as a source to attract people to click the link.

RedHotChilliSauce.Press propagated the rumors saying Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s son had committed suicide.

Read also: Jaden Smith Dead: Suicide After His 18th Birthday?

Meanwhile, Snopes debunked the rumors, proving that the website that says Jaden has died is a click-bait spam. Jaden Smith dead news was shared on Facebook a number of times, deceiving its clickers to download apps such as ‘Smart Mobiles’, ‘Top Feeds’, and ‘Gadgy Land’.

Internet hoaxes announcing celebrities are dead or have committed suicide have been quite a trend these days. The people behind those deceiving posts use actors’ names, thus misleading the fans for their own benefits.

Click bait stories such as this and others like ‘Rowan Atkinson dead’ news are hackers’ way to spread Internet viruses such as malware. Snopes noted that some sites even hijack clickers’ social media accounts.

 Jade was also reportedly working with Kanye West for his highly anticipated birthday album. In July, he posted a snippet of a video he’s been creating for his fans.

Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated on the star or comment below and share your thoughts with us!

Top 'Nigerian prince' email scammer arrested

Scam letters in Nigeria are nothing new.

They’re commonly known as the 419, says Sam Olukoya, a journalist based in Lagos.

Part of the reason why the malware-hacked emails are so popular in Nigeria is because they’re inexpensive to construct. With almost 61% of the Nigerian population in poverty, it also makes for easy money.

“There are so many people trying to make a business out of this. It’s quite a thriving business. One, it’s so easy to establish you just need a few hundred dollars to buy a computer, to buy internet, to buy data and that’s business,” Olukoya says.

Despite the frequency of scamming emails in Nigeria, one skillful con artist stands out. The head of a multinational network was arrested Monday in the capital of Nigeria’s River State, Port Harcourt.

The network was headed by a 40-year-old Nigerian known as "Mike." The network, composed of over 40 individuals spread across Nigeria, Malaysia and South Africa, was behind global scams worth more than $60 million.

“You can understand how elaborate this type of scam is, if somebody has made $60 million, that doesn’t come easy,” Olukoya says.

“He’s believed to have hacked into the accounts of some medium- and small-scale establishments and using that to ask people to pay money to accounts which he controlled,” Olukoya explains. “These people were assuming that these accounts belonged to the companies they have been dealing with.”

His operations used malware to take over systems, fake email accounts to ask businesses for money and romance scams. According to Interpol’s website, it is believed that one fraudulent transaction by Mike and his associates landed them $1.5 million.

Even though Nigeria isn’t the only country to conduct advance-fee frauds, 51% of it comes from the western African country, according to a Microsoft report.

Across the internet, these scamming emails are known as the subject of a meme: the Nigerian Prince, a common type of social engineering scheme that includes a so-called Nigerian royal figure soliciting the reader to transfer thousands of dollars with the promise that they will reward them with a larger sum in the end.

Here’s how one would start, according to the Washington Post:

DEAR SIR, I am Prince Kufour Otumfuo the elder son of the late King Otumfuo Opoku ware II whose demise occur following a brief illness. Before the death of my father, King Otumfuo Opoku ware II, I was authorised and officially known as the next successor and beneficiary of my father's property according to African Traditional rite. …

Olukoya receives these types of emails every day. One text message asked him to call a number to "reactivate" his ATM card for a bank account he didn't own. He recognized it as a scam, but others aren't so lucky.

"I imagine that so many people would have called the same number. What he would have done was he would have been able to get the details on the card," Olukoya says. "When he gets the details, he will definitely empty their bank account."

India floods kill more than 150 people

Floods across India over the past three weeks have killed 152 people and displaced millions, officials said.

Officials said 34 people had died and 1.1 million displaced in the north-eastern state of Assam alone.

Efforts are also underway to rescue animals from the state's Kaziranga national park, which is one of the last habitats of the rare one-horned rhino.

Wildlife officials said 80% of the park is under water and over 100 animals, including 17 rhinos, have died.

Floods have also damaged large tracts of agricultural land and infrastructure in the northern states of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh, as well as West Bengal state in the east.

The PTI news agency said hundreds of people were stranded along the highways leading to Manali, a tourist resort in Himachal Pradesh.

India's meteorological department has said that heavy rains are likely to continue.

Russian military helicopter shot down in Syria

A Russian military helicopter was shot down over Syria on Monday, killing all five people on board in the single deadliest incident for Moscow since it intervened in the war. The attack came as Syrian opposition fighters and their jihadist allies battled government forces outside Aleppo in a bid to ease the regime’s siege of rebel-held parts of the northern city.

Russia’s defence ministry announced the downing of the helicopter, which it said was carrying three crew and two officers.

“A Russian Mi-8 military transport helicopter was shot down from the ground after delivering humanitarian aid to Aleppo,” the defence ministry said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies.

The Kremlin said all five people on board were assumed dead. (AFP)

Men inspect the wreckage of a Russian helicopter that had been shot down in the north of Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province, Syria August 1, 2016. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)

Rebel fighters and civilians inspect the wreckage of a Russian helicopter that had been shot down in the north of Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province, Syria August 1, 2016. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)

Fighters of the Syrian Islamist rebel group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham cheer on a pick truck after a Russian helicopter had been shot down in the north of Syria’s rebel-held Idlib province, Syria August 1, 2016. (REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah)

Violent weekend leaves more than 20 dead in Mexico

Mexico City (AFP) - More than 20 people were killed in three Mexican states plagued by drug violence over the weekend, with 11 found dead in a single day in Acapulco, authorities said.

The victims in Acapulco were found in five different locations in the Pacific resort city on Sunday, amid an increase in homicides across the country this year.

Gunmen killed three people at a bar; two men and one woman were found dead in a car near a cemetery with signs of torture and their feet and hands tied; and three bodies were exhumed from a clandestine grave on the outskirts of the city

Two other people were shot dead in separate incidents in Acapulco, which is among the most violent cities in the world outside war zones, with 111 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015.

Acapulco is in the state of Guerrero, where seven people from the same family, including two children, were found shot dead on Saturday in two homes in the town of Tepecoacuilco de Trujano.

Elsewhere in Mexico, a soldier and four suspected drug gang members died in two clashes on Sunday in Nuevo Laredo, a city bordering the United States in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas. Six other soldiers were wounded.

The soldiers came under attack after they responded to reports of gunfights between rival gangs in two parts of the city, the Tamaulipas security task force said in a statement.

Another four suspected criminals died on Sunday in the eastern state of Veracruz after exchanging fire with police, authorities said.

In the western state of Michoacan, the burned bodies of nine people were found in a charred pickup truck on Saturday, but authorities were investigating whether their car went up in flames by accident during a fuel theft or if they were murdered.

Homicides rose in Mexico in 2015 after three years of decline, and they are on their way up again this year.

More than 9,400 people were killed between January and June, compared to 8,156 during the same period last year, according to official figures.

2 Dead, More Than 100 Rescued in 'Historic' Flash Floods in Maryland

A deadly flash flood in Maryland killed two people and stranded more than 100 over the weekend, leaving behind a scene of devastation in a historic Maryland town that officials say could take months to rebuild.
Ellicott City — located roughly 14 miles west of Baltimore — was hit by nearly 6 inches of rain in less than two hours. Rising floodwaters ripped through buildings, carried away cars and caused the displacement of dozens of residents, according to Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman.
Workers inspected approximately 200 properties in Ellicott City. Four to five of those properties are destroyed," said Kittleman. "Another 20 to 30 suffered substantial damage. It has yet to be determined when individuals will be allowed to return to their homes and businesses."

Gold shop robbed in Pakistan

Video of shop robbed in Pakistan

Watch video, UFOs blame for nuclear failure

Woman Claims She Was Sexually Assaulted By Toy At Hibachi Restaurant

A woman who visited a hibachi steakhouse in Tennessee says she was sexually assaulted by a toy during her dinner.

Police were called to Hibachi in Murfreesboro this week on a sexual assault complaint, where the Isabelle Lassiter told them she'd been squirted in the face with a toy by a chef.

The toy is meant to look like a little boy that pulls his pants down and "urinate

Proprietors of the restaurant admit the incident occurred and said the toy is meant to be funny.

But Lassiter isn't isn't laughing, in part because it happened in front of her children.

"It peed on me, basically. Out of his… wee-wee area,” Isabelle Lassiter told WTVF.

Lassiter reportedly police said she felt sexually assaulted because the toy had a penis. However, in the police statement, the officer refuted that claim.

"I observed the toy to have no penis and just a hole for the water to shoot out," the officer wrote.

In reaction to news reports about the incident, Lassiter and her husband released a statement defending the allegations.

"People are missing the point. This was a sexually-oriented toy meant for adults, in front of minor children," the statement read. "We're not trying to make money off of this. If the toy was in a bar, it'd be a different situation, but this was in a family restaurant with 13 to 14 year olds at the table. If people think it's so funny, why don't people go buy that toy and squirt a cop in the face with it and see what happens."

Willian flattered by Mourinho interest

Willian revealed he was left flattered by interest shown from Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, but insists his future lies at Chelsea.

Mourinho signed Willian at Chelsea in 2013, going on to win the Premier League title together in 2014-2015.

However, with Mourinho now at United, the Portuguese tactician was keen on luring Willian to Old Trafford for the upcoming season.

But Willian says he is happy at Chelsea, having only recently signed a new four-year deal to remain at Stamford Bridge.

“I have a great relationship with Jose, but I am Chelsea. Of course, when someone like him is interested in you then you are happy,” Willian said.

“But I signed the contract because I like being a Chelsea player and I see good things here. I signed a new contract and that shows how much I want to stay here.

But the simple thing is that I want to win titles. To win titles you have to improve and if we can do that then we have a great chance to win titles this season.

“We have the players to do this – and the manager.”

Willian played 45 minutes as Chelsea went down 3-2 to Champions League winners Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.

“The game against Madrid was disappointing. We must work hard and when we have the ball then we have to play good football,” the 27-year-old said post-game.

“This season it can’t be just about defence, defence, defence. We have to play good football and attack.”

Dialogue with Avengers, not MEND – Niger Delta elders tells Buhari

In its efforts to ensure that peace returns to the Niger Delta region, a group, Concerned Niger Delta Elders, CNDE, has warned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government not to enter into any kind of dialogue with the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, but rather, dialogue directly with the Niger Delta Avengers or their appointees.

In a statement by Seigha Manijar and Aureol Viviana, the group said that whatever resolution reached between the Federal Government and the Avengers, would be a long lasting one rather than going through MEND, even as it appealed to the militants group to sheathe their swords and dialogue with the government.

“MEND should speak for itself and not for others. It can speak on behalf of the Avengers if invited to do so. MEND should not arrogate to itself the authority to speak for others outside its ranks,” the statement said, warning that negotiating with MEND instead of Avengers would have grave implications, such as conflict of interest, mistrust, non implementation of resolutions among others.

“We understand the Avengers’ demand for foreign observers in the dialogue but we appeal to them to pick their representatives from among the numerous trusted individuals from the Niger Delta such as Dr Timiebi Agary, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd), Timi Alaibe, Prof G.G Darah, Dr Otive Igbuzor, Enemo Samiama, Roland Ekperi, Wilson Ajuwa and Joel Bisina, among others.”

However, if they are not comfortable with the suggested names, they should feel free to pick their representatives. That will show the world that they are ready for dialogue. The government should also consider the Avengers’ demand of inviting foreign observers as a show of sincerity.”

On how to stem the tide of proliferation of splinter groups in the region, the statement said: “Once the Federal Government starts a genuine dialogue with the Avengers, who seem to have shown enough capacity and consistency in their acts, we believe that other groups will fall in line by absorption or coercion.”

The group also frowned at Tompolo’s willingness to be part of the negotiation saying, “Tompolo does not necessarily have to be in any negotiation team, whether it is driven by MEND or any other group. What is important is that given the right atmosphere, any group or representatives could discuss Tompolo’s plight, including Henry Okah and others. There is no doubt that Tompolo can be an asset to this government on Niger Delta crisis if well managed.”